Savan Kotecha

Savan Kotecha

With more than 300 million records sold and songwriting credits for artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, One Direction, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Usher, Maroon 5, and many more, Savan Kotecha [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savan_Kotecha] has quietly become one of the most successful hitmakers in modern pop music. But what surprised me most wasn't the resume. It was the person behind it. We sat down in Savan's studio expecting to talk about chart-topping songs, hit-making formulas, and the music business. We did plenty of that. We get into the craft of writing global pop records, why melody matters more than lyrics, the realities of streaming, working alongside legends like Max Martin and Madonna, and what it actually takes to give a song a shot at becoming a hit. But the conversation kept drifting somewhere more interesting. Savan talks about being inspired by movies, books, and even magazine confessionals. He explains why he still watches emotional TV dramas, why fame often looks very different from the outside than it does up close, and why some of his proudest accomplishments have nothing to do with Billboard charts. Along the way, we discuss Britney Spears, Grey's Anatomy, Swedish pop music, and the surprising story behind "What Makes You Beautiful." This is a conversation about creativity, ambition, and what happens when someone spends a lifetime chasing great songs while trying not to lose sight of everything else that matters. Listen to a collection of Savan Kotecha's work. [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFDQNTF1zpGt2?si=008e5a059b8a4302] Follow Savan Kotecha:Spotify [https://artists.spotify.com/songwriter/2nC61iaQ1FQfBWMfuIRtzc] IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4153652/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/awsuki/?hl=en]

Drew Tarvin

Drew Tarvin is a humorist, author, and speaker who has built a career around one deceptively simple idea: work is better when people laugh. As the founder of Humor That Works and the author of "Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work", Drew has helped organizations use humor to improve communication, leadership, creativity, and company culture. Long before that became his full-time mission, he was balancing a career at Procter & Gamble with nights doing improv and stand-up comedy. I had a feeling this conversation would be fun, but I didn't expect it to get so practical. Drew doesn't just argue that humor belongs in the workplace, he explains why it works, where it goes wrong, and how almost anyone can use it without trying to become the office comedian. We talk about improv, presentations, brainstorming, leadership, why PowerPoint so often puts people to sleep, and the surprising psychology behind what actually makes something funny. We compare notes on stand-up, hip-hop, puns (far more than any reasonable podcast should contain) and why some of the best lessons about communication come from comedy clubs instead of conference rooms. I especially enjoyed hearing someone who thinks about humor as analytically as I do, while never losing sight of the fact that the goal isn't to be the funniest person in the room. It's simply to make the room a little more human. If you've ever had to give a presentation, lead a meeting, or wondered whether work really has to feel so serious all the time, I think you'll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe to Drew's Blog [https://www.funnythingaboutthat.com] Pick up one of Drew's best selling books [https://drewtarvin.com/books/] Work with Drew and Humor That Works [https://teams.humorthatworks.com] Watch Drew's viral TEDx Talk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdZAMSyn_As] Follow Drew Tarvin:Website [https://drewtarvin.com] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/theandrewtarvin] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/drewtarvin] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tarvintalks/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/drewtarvin8/]

Ravi Patel

Actor, filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur Ravi Patel [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Patel_(actor)] is known for Meet the Patels, Master of None, The Pursuit of Happyness, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Animal Control, and films including Long Shot and 80 for Brady. He's also built companies, created television projects, and somehow manages to make every career pivot seem inevitable in hindsight. I've always enjoyed talking with Ravi because he has this rare combination of ambition and perspective. We get into everything from his unlikely journey through investment banking and the poker boom to Meet the Patels, what happened after the documentary, and the projects he was building next. But the conversation really took an unexpected turn when we started talking about success. Ravi shared one of my favorite answers I've ever gotten to the question, "Have you made it?" His take on ambition, fatherhood, redefining success, and learning to love the pursuit instead of waiting for the destination genuinely stuck with me. We still manage to squeeze in plenty of laughs (and a surprisingly competitive game of blackjack), but this one became a much deeper conversation than I expected, and I'm really glad it did. Watch Ravi's real-life romantic comedy "Meet the Patels" [https://youtu.be/KqD5S5zTMGs?si=XUGcuRcDqiJER1dB] Follow Ravi Patel:IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2201027/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/showmetheravi/?hl=en]

Willis Turner

Comedian Willis Turner has spent years touring comedy clubs across the country, sharing stages with comics like Loni Love and performing everywhere from small-town Montana to military bases overseas. But what started as two comedians swapping road stories turned into an extremely thoughtful conversation. We begin with life on the road, opening for other comics, unforgettable gigs, and the strange realities of stand-up, before the conversation naturally shifts into much bigger territory. Willis and I dive into politics, race, American history, generational perspectives, why travel changes the way you see the world, and whether comedians have become today's philosophers. I first met Willis backstage at the Comedy & Magic Club, and after talking with him for just a few minutes I knew I wanted to keep the conversation going. I'm glad we finally did. It's funny, thoughtful, and occasionally provocative. Follow Willis Turner:IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2577930/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therealwillisturner/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/WillisTurnerComedy/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/willisturner1] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@therealwillisturner]

Priya Rai

Priya Rai [https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priya_Rai] is one of the most recognizable Indian-born performers ever to work in the adult entertainment industry. Adopted from India and raised in Arizona, she built a successful career as a featured dancer, adult film star, entrepreneur, and online creator, becoming one of the few South Asian women to achieve mainstream name recognition in an industry where representation has historically been rare. I wasn't quite sure where this conversation would go, but that's part of what made it so fascinating. Priya is disarmingly open about everything - her adoption story, becoming a mother at a young age, raising two kids, entering the adult industry at 29, retiring, returning years later, and the complicated realities that most people never hear discussed honestly. What struck me wasn't the shock value of any of it. It was how matter-of-fact and thoughtful she was when talking about choices that many people spend their lives judging from a distance. We get into everything from stigma, relationships, family, and financial independence to how the internet completely changed the adult entertainment business. Along the way, she made me laugh far more than I expected, challenged some of my assumptions, and reminded me that the most interesting conversations usually happen when you're willing to talk with someone whose life experience looks nothing like your own. Follow Priya Rai:IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2864233/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/priya_rai_xoxo/?hl=en] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/priyaanjalirai]